


Runaway Bride

by Birdish



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: AkuSai, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, He's been waiting for almost a decade just call him already, Hollow Bastion | Radiant Garden, Idiots in Love, Lol they didn't talk for 8 years wtf just text him Isa, M/M, Mentioned Saix and Xemnas, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Organization XIII (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:42:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22222009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birdish/pseuds/Birdish
Summary: It’s not every day you almost hit your high school crush with your car. And it’s not every day that he’s running from his wedding.
Relationships: Axel/Saïx (Kingdom Hearts), Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts), Saïx/Xemnas (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 129





	Runaway Bride

**Author's Note:**

> I was enjoying the 3 for $10 at Chili's when I got inspired to write this so that's fun.  
> Also I would have 100% called this "Runaway Groom" but that's not as familiar as a term and didn't sound as catchy so RIP that title.  
> Enjoy!

The forecast said rain, but Lea knew otherwise. Rain wouldn’t stop him anyway, he was going to begin his road trip _today_ , and nothing, whether a storm or summer breeze, could stop him.

He had a suitcase in the backseat and an ever-expanding smile in the front, eyes twinkling as he turned the corner of Main Street one last time.

_Goodbye Radiant Garden, it’s been swell._

The street held all of its familiarity. The fountains still flowing the way they always had. The gardens, blooming and throwing petals to the breeze. And the Banquet Hall, decorated, as always, for someone's wedding. This time, there were flashes of white ribbon and balloons, and Lea, for a moment, felt a flash of dread.

 _Weren’t Terra and Aqua getting married soon? Shit was that today? Was he missing their wedd_ —And then, within the sea of white, came a jolt of blue, then black, _a tuxedo?_ , and the screech of Lea’s brakes filled the once silent street.

He rocked forward in his seat, looked to the fleeing person with wide eyes. They stood, hands splayed across the hood, poised like a frightened cat, and Lea rolled his eyes. _If a summer storm wouldn’t stop him apparently a wedding runaway would_. He rolled the window down, contempt hot on his tongue as he prepared to unleash....

He paused. Paused as he took in that unmistakable hair, that face that so often only held a calm reservation, now twisted into something akin to fear…He hadn’t seen this expression since high school….since the Struggle tournament….

“Isa?”

The man looked to him with renewed horror, his eyes going to the pavement as he stepped away, seeming to try to find another mode of escape.

There came yells, loud, piercing shouts from the Banquet Hall, and Lea blinked.

“I never took you for a runaway bride,” The doors unlocked as though by instinct.

“Oh, shut up,” Isa slid into the car easily, and they were off before either could give a second thought.

* * *

Isa’s hands, clasped and shaking, never left his lap. His gaze stayed glued to the floor as they drove, and his face remained shrouded under a screen of long, azure hair.

“You really just left that poor guy at the altar,” the silence was suffocating, best to fill it with something humorous. “You’ve never been one to throw caution to the wind.”

There came a sigh as Isa rubbed his temple. The curtain of hair, with a motion of uncertainty, was pushed behind an ear, and as he turned and looked to Lea, there was a chill to the glance.

“Stop,” and then, as he looked away, a softer: “ _Please_.”

They drove in silence then, the sky only growing darker overhead. Lea looked to the rearview window, wondered if right now, right _this_ moment, Isa’s friends and family were reporting him for kidnapping.

_They wouldn’t do that, they knew him._

Lea, with a slight glance, looked to the distant groom and bit his lip.

_Maybe that wasn’t exactly helpful to his case._

“So umm, who was the lucky guy?”

“You’re really preoccupied with this aren’t you?”

“Well I haven’t spoken to you in eight years, I don’t know what else to say.”

It sounded more defensive than Lea had intended, held more anger than he’d meant to seep through. The car hummed in the silence, and Lea, once more, cursed himself for turning down Main Street.

Isa, facing away, watched the clouds, his chin up with his arm, his reaction unreadable. He considered the words, Lea’s tone repeating in mind.

_It really had been eight years._

It’d felt longer.

“Xemnas. The person I’m marrying…was marrying…was Xemnas.”  
  


_....oh._

“The class president?.... _Really_? That guy? Mr.Stick-up-his-ass?” Lea laughed only because he didn’t know what else to do. “I never thought you’d marry someone like him.”

“Neither did I.”

It seemed it was his turn for a cruel response, and Isa, maybe, hadn’t meant to come off as harsh as it had. Lea grimaced before he could think to hide his expression, and Isa’s fists seemed to tighten. The silence was welcomed quicker this time around, and Isa looked to the passing houses as Lea’s thoughts churned, long-buried anger and confusion rising with each dragged, silent minute.

When he finally spoke again, there was something like defeat in his voice, a childish, long-forgotten jealousy sharp in tone.

“You always said you’d never marry someone if you weren’t in love with them.”

It’d been exactly what Isa was expecting, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel the smallest inklings of pain upon hearing the words.

“Yes but...I do love him.”

And nothing could be done about that, no advice could be given to mend something that wasn’t broken, wasn’t failing. It was simply, in the easiest of terms, life, and Lea didn’t have to bite back any words, any jokes, because he knew the silence that followed needed to be just that. Silence.

* * *

They’d had their first, and only kiss after they won their first Struggle tournament.

Isa had always found Struggle to be a stupid concept. Beating one another with foam bats? Child’s play.

But Lea enjoyed it, and if it made Lea happy, it was sure to bring a smile to Isa’s face too.

They were an unbeatable team, though they were only a “team” in theory. They were opponents come time for the tournament, but they trained together, strategized together, and in the event of a win, shared the trophy together. They were as much each other as they were individuals, and despite the stupidity of the game, Isa found love in the sport.

It’d been nothing more than a quick peck, a moment of pure joy as Lea was handed the trophy, and he hadn’t really thought about it, hadn’t planned, when he hooked his arm around Isa’s neck and pulled him close.

He’d never thought his best friend’s lips would be so soft.

Hadn’t expected that that _one_ kiss would haunt his nights, that the bashful, frazzled push Isa had done, the extended fist instead, their customary fist bump, would no longer be as satisfying as what Isa’s lips could bring.

* * *

If you looked hard enough across the surf you could see the small, green dot that was Destiny Islands. Isa and Lea had spent countless sunrises and sunsets on the shore of Radiant Garden, looking out to the sea and wondering if anyone else was looking back. It was only right that this would be where Lea’s first instinct took him...but the spray of the surf wasn’t comforting as it’d once been, and today, with the sky threatening to cry overhead, it felt as icy as Isa’s gaze.

The _why him?_ s and _why didn’t we_?s were unspoken, but still there. They lay on Lea’s tongue, bitter and ancient, and it took everything within him not to stare at his former best friend.

“Roxas was there you know,” the words were inviting, coaxing Lea to finally turn and face him. “He’s dating Xemnas’ little sister.”

“Oh, yea? That’s nice,” the response sounded hollow even to Lea.

“He asked why you weren’t there, I didn’t know what to tell him.”

_You could have told him that we were supposed to be standing up there together. You could have told him that._

“She’s nice, Xion, you’d like her. She Struggles too, she’s pretty good, Roxas taught her all the moves you taught him.”

“Oh…that’s nice.” It was a struggle to choke out.

* * *

“They should cancel the tournament this year, it’s going to rain the entire week,” Isa caught the frisbee and, lazily, threw it back to Lea.

“I hope not, I’ve got big plans,” Another throw, another catch.

“Developed some new moves?”

“Nah,” Lea caught the frisbee with a smile, and when he threw it, his grin became explosive. “I’m coaching somebody, this freshman named Roxas.”

The frisbee went over Isa’s head, and he stood, wide-eyed, looking to Lea with an expression akin to….Lea couldn’t place it

“I already signed up to Struggle Lea.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything different from you, you’re always on top of things. I still have to get the registration for Roxas and me. Are you going to get the frisbee?”

“I only signed up because of you. I thought we were doing what we’ve _been_ doing,” Isa made no move to get the frisbee.

Lea started forward, passing Isa with a raised eyebrow as he grabbed the frisbee and turned back, confusion sharp in his eyes.

“Not this year man, I want to branch out, and this Roxas kid is _good_. If I can show him a few tricks, he’ll probably be better than the both of us combined.”

And Lea turned away, not knowing, or maybe in a way not caring, about the hurt that’d flickered, momentarily, in Isa’s eyes.

Already it’d changed to something else. Now the teal depths shined with pure, unadulterated jealousy.

* * *

“How has life been to you Lea?”

_Tolerable. Eventful but boring enough that an impromptu road trip seems like a bit of heaven._

“It’s been…hard Isa.”

“Has it?” The glance shared between them, their eyes numb and ears cold with the ocean’s spray, was years over-do. “Such is life.”

Isa turned away, too tired to say anymore, too caught up in years-long shame to say what they both wanted, needed, to hear. 

He looked to the clouds, willing them to rain. Rain meant they’d have to leave, have to get back into that car and go somewhere else. Somewhere that didn’t remind him of a life he’d long given up on. _Please_ , and even more so, his eyes were beginning to sting. _Please rain._

And then…ever so gently, came the hand, and then, slowly, the arm. Lea wrapped his arm around Isa’s shoulder, a small token of comfort paired with concerned green eyes.

”Isa....,” the rain wasn’t coming quick enough, his vision was already beginning to blur. 

But Lea stayed Lea, his form still recognizable, the gentleness in his eyes still so apparent.  
 _  
_And _finally_ , after years of holding it in, Isa said it. Could say it. 

“I’m….”

And the clouds released the prophesied rain, the droplets trailing down their cheeks and wetting the long-awaited words.

* * *

With loneliness as his training partner Isa’s contempt grew. He passed the Sandlot, saw the training, _his_ training, enacted in the smiling faces of the spiky-haired blond, and something like hatred grew. It flourished, from a small seed into a dainty, luminescent flower, and through the night, with the moon as his companion, Isa trained alone in the Sandlot, his joy a ghost of itself.

Maybe he’d gone a bit overboard, relinquished control over the sweltering emotions a bit too easily, come the day of the tournament.

The anger in Lea’s face was enough to stab, to pierce, Isa’s heart, bringing with it waves of guilt and pain. Roxas lay on the ground, expression dazed, incoherent mumblings on his breath, and any “sorry” felt unsubstantial, a mockery.

Isa wiped the blood from his cheek, found no source for the wound and stepped back as the referee rushed forward, Lea not far behind. _He’d gone Berserk. Completely savage_. Isa went to reach for Roxas’ bat, paused and pulled away, looked to Lea for something, anything.

“I’m….” He was silenced by the glance, and he looked to the ground. As Roxas was taken away, blood dribbling from his broken nose, the last meeting of Isa and Lea’s eyes had been one of death.

The death of a friendship, of understanding, of the beginnings of affection, and the silent urgings to hold one close.

The shame made it hard to apologize.

The anger made it difficult to forgive.

And overhead, the rain began to fall on their final Struggle Tournament.

* * *

The drive back to Main Street was silent, and as Lea parked, the pair watched as Ienzo, the ever-reliant groomsman, bolted across the road just as Isa had, his face alight with panic, the umbrella in his hand trembling.

Isa sighed, the unbuckling of the seat belt loud in the stilled car, the sound of the rain like a placid melody. He reached for the door, and the bolt of the lock was startling, enough to warrant a surprised grunt. He turned back to Lea, expression confused, movements stilled.

“For luck,” There was the extended fist, a remnant of their days of youth. “Invite me to your next wedding, ok?”

The chuckle, familiar and bringing warmth Lea had feared had long gone cold, was comforting, reassuring. The interception of knuckles, a fist bump of their shared immaturity, felt more intimate, more reassuring, than it ever had. The indentations fit together as though lost puzzle pieces, and the teasing, juvenile nature of it all felt right, felt sure.

“I’ll tell Roxas, he’ll bring his Struggle bat.”

It was the red-heads turn to smirk, to laugh, and when he answered, it was in the voice of friendship ripened teasing.

“Ahhh I don’t know about that. I’m not planning on being back in town for a while. I just need to know about any holy matrimony so I can send a nice gift, some running shoes maybe.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

Lea sighed and found the words he’d wanted to speak for years. He swallowed, allowed them to fill his mouth, and when he spoke, he felt lighter than he had in a long while.

“Did you ever…feel anything for me?”

Isa closed his eyes. Breathed in once, twice, three times until he crossed the line within himself.

“I’ve only ever been “in love” once Lea,” his voice wavered, and he stilled himself. “If that’s…good enough for you.”

They pulled their fists away then, the parting feeling like loss as Lea’s gaze returned to the road. Isa emerged from the vehicle, the cold of the day not subduing the warmth in his cheeks as he watched Lea drive away, the tires treading the pavement of Radiant Garden one last time. He knew there’d been an agreement, though silent, in the shared touch. The rain pattered against his hair and cheeks, wetted his suit jacket and hands, and he thought of that day all those years ago.

Ienzo ran forward, his worries turned to yells, his gaze piercing as he took Isa’s hand. He was led back to the banquet hall, back into the depths of questions and accusations, and took the agreement with him, held it closer than anything had ever been in his heart.

He wouldn’t get married today, and the wedding wouldn’t be tomorrow, that he knew. As he returned to his fiancé, Isa looked to Xemnas, took in that yellow gaze that reminded him so much of the moon’s call, and knew that at his next wedding, he wouldn’t invite Lea, wouldn’t need to.

Because if the man didn’t show, that would make them both “runaway brides,” wouldn’t it?


End file.
